Vertical slat venetian blind antirattle clip



Aug. 6, 1957 A. J. TOTI 2,801,689

VERTICAL SLAT VENETIAN BLIND ANTI RATTLE CLIP Filed March 15, 1954 1 NVENTOR F I 6.4 ANDREW J. TOTH ATTORNEY United States Patent VERTICALSLAT VENETIAN BLIND ANTIRATTLE CLIP This invention relates to Venetianblinds and has for ,its object the prevention of the slats from rattlingwhen open and subject to some angles of wind blowing through the openslats. The invention is applicable to Venetian blinds of the ordinaryvariety in which the slats extend horizontally and also to the type inwhich the slats hang vertically from their upper ends, particularly asthe latter type being made of much longer slats and generally supportedat their upper ends only, being more adapted to rattle} when open asthis is their most unstable position. The invention may be said tocomprise a special clip to grip the edges of adjacent slats.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal cross section of a vertical slat Venetian blind,or a vertical cross section of a horizontal slat Venetian blind, showingseveral slats turned to open position and with two of my special clipsin place each holding two slats from rattling.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the clip of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1 but showing the slats tiltedand with the clips automatically released at one end from the slats butstill in position to automatically engage it if the slats are againtilted to the dotted open position.

Fig. 4 shows more of the slats tilted to closed position and withseveral of the clips in place on the slats in position released from theadjacent slats to be engaged when the slats are again opened.

The clip comprises a strip, preferably of thin sheet metal 1 (tho it maybe of plastic or any stiff resilient material), and which strip is bentor folded over as at 2 and 3 to form two open slots 4 and 5 at oppositeends extending substantially at right angle to the body to engage overthe edges or margins respectively of two adjacent slats 6.

The slats 4 and 5 are preferably formed by doubling the strip of metalback and forth as indicated in the drawing to form a snug frictionalslat gripping slot 4 at one end, and a free slat receiving slot 5 at theopposite end, With an outwardly flared lip 7 to guide a fluttering slatinto its slot automatically as the slats are tilted from the partiallyclosed slanted position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to the dotted lineposition.

It is not all Venetian blinds that rattle but sometimes one or moreslats at a windy side of a house, or when the window at which they areused is open, and the wind blows through at some particular angle, theywill start rattling, and in such a case a few of clips are quicklyapplied to the edges of slats most aifected, by simply pushing theshortest L-shaped split ends 2 over the edges of the shaking slats andwhereupon the wider split end 3 will automatically engage over the edgeof the next adjacent slat.

The slats of the blind may be of any type, flat, arched, or ribbed, andthe slots in the clips made of a size to receive them and function asdescribed.

The clips should be applied to the far side edges of the blinds and willthen be quite invisible from the room side. Any number may be applied asmay be required, and they may be staggered in height, so as to tie thethird slat shown in Fig. 1 to the second one shown in that figure.

When the slats are all folded or tilted to entirely closed position asshown in Fig. 4 the clips may still remain in position if desired. Ifthe clips are applied to the forward edges of the slats they must havetheir tightly fitting or gripping slots 4 applied to the edge of theslat which swings to carry the open slot 5 away from the run of theblind as indicated in the released position 5' in in Fig. 3. Since theslats themselves are highly resilient and the clips are preferably ofspringy metal, the free slot 5 will automatically disengage its slatwhen the slats are moved close together.

It is obvious that the clips may be of various forms, and made ofvarious materials including bent out of wire, single or double to theform substantially shown in the drawings, and any similarly functioningclip is intended to be covered in my appended claims whether termed aclip or by any other name.

I claim:

1. In combination, a Venetian blind provided with vertically arrangedturnable slats, an anti-rattle clip extending horizontally across atleast two adjacent slats intermediate their length, said clip providedat one end With a slot frictionally gripping a slat to support the clipin horizontal extension, and provided at the opposite end with a slot inposition to freely receive another slat as the slats are opened, andswing out of engagement with the latter slat from the frictionallygripped slat as a fulcrum, when the slats are turned toward closedposition.

2. In a structure as set out in claim 1 said clip being of spring sheetmaterial bent to provide a frictional slat gripping slot at one end anda Wider slot at the opposite end substantially parallel with thegripping slot.

3. In combination, a Venetian blind provided with vertically arrangedturnable slats, an anti-rattle clip, comprising a strip of stiffmaterial extending horizontally across at least two adjacent slatsintermediate their length, means at one end of said strip arranged togrip opposite sides of one slat adjacent the edge firmly to hold thestrip in place in horizontal extension, and means at the opposite end ofsaid strip adapted to freely engage and disengage another slatrespectively as the slats are opened and closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS471,427 Lavallet Mar. 22, 1892 2,153,893 Johanson Apr. 11, 19392,256,107 Zadek Sept. 16, 1941 2,532,487 Faulkner Dec. 5, 1950 2,755,854McIntire July 24, 1956

